


Arachnid Engineering and Paradigm Shifts

by Ilthit



Series: Trope-Bingo: Round Two [2]
Category: Community (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-31
Updated: 2013-07-31
Packaged: 2017-12-21 23:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/906218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilthit/pseuds/Ilthit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Abed finally broaches the subject.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Arachnid Engineering and Paradigm Shifts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tootsiemuppet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tootsiemuppet/gifts).



> Because I had to get at least one of these potential scenarios off my chest. Also using it for Trope Bingo Round Two free square, since "first kiss", while unlisted, is a trope, right?

 

“That was cool,” said Abed and pushed back his hood.

“Yeah,” said Troy, staggering out of the ruins after him. His metallic silver jumpsuit was grey and dull with dust. “Good thing nobody got killed. Would totally have ruined it.”

They turned back to the smoking remains of the 70-foot robot spider crushing the roof of Greendale Community College. The hull was still mostly intact and glittering silver in the late night lamplight while contestants in space fleet uniforms (from a wholly unrelated B plot) filed coughing out of the wreckage.

Abed reached for Troy's hand and pulled him up to the lawn where they had a better view of the stainless steel limbs splayed against the night sky. The moon was rising and somewhere a siren blared.

“It's beautiful,” said Abed in that way of his that was half genuine and half seizing the obvious movie moment to say the appropriate thing.

Abed's palm felt warm and grainy against Troy's, and it was really hard not to cry or hug him or maybe just jump around screaming about how totally awesome it was to be Troy Barnes right then. Instead Troy said, "You are the best best friend in the whole world. We should watch Arachnophobia again."

They stood together in silence for a while as a crew of firemen declared South Hall clear just before a part of it collapsed. The moment remained unruined.

“I hate it when people call me special," said Abed. "They mean after school special. I thought I wanted to be a B-film, then I wanted to be mainstream. Now I don't know anymore. Speculative fiction is fun to play with, but in the long run it doesn't seem in the cards for me, unless there's a way to build transporters without using maths.”

“You're not mainstream. Mainstream is boring. Unless it's, like, ridiculously awesome mainstream. Is Batman mainstream?”

“At first it was just too much specialness in one package, and then we couldn't do it because the network would never go for it. Then I thought we'd jumped the shark. But I think I could go indie now.”

“I'm not following.”

“It's never been done before. There's a good chance it won't work. It would be safer to stick with established narratives. But this would probably be the last season anyway.”

Abed was talking fast and without inflection, but his fingers were curling and uncurling nervously around Troy's. “You okay?”

“I'm pretty sure you've been in love with me since the STD Fair in 2009.“

Troy's felt the chill of the night breeze and the sudden impulse to pull his hand away, only he didn't feel like he could move right now. Faint, maybe. Move, no.

“I also knew you wouldn't say anything, even after the Kickpuncher remake. Especially after the Kickpuncher remake. It's been over four years, we nearly broke up, and you still haven't said anything.” He looked at Troy curiously. “It's okay. I eventually figured out I felt that way about you too. I just didn't know if we could leave the best friends paradigm, or if I could handle it if we did, but I think I'm ready to be your boyfriend now. If you want.”

Four years of processing dumped itself on Troy all at once. The lamplight flickered, expanded, and died out. Troy had just enough time to feel his knees start to give, and the next thing he saw swimming into sight was a dark outline of Abed framed in a pale night sky. His back was wet from the grass and he may have landed on a crushed soda can.

"I'm sorry." Abed handed him a bottle of water. “I should have known that would happen. But I think I caught you before you hit your head.”

Troy took a long draught of water and recapped the bottle. “Abed?”

“Yes?”

“You can be a real dick sometimes.”

"I didn't realize."

"I know. We're going to make out now."

“Okay.”

Troy grabbed Abed by the collar and pulled him down, all long limbs and silvery jumpsuit, and kissed him before they could cut away.


End file.
